Samuel Pickman House
One of the oldest structures in Salem, the Samuel Pickman House sits at 20 Liberty Street at Charter St. right outside of the Charter Street Cemetery.
The land was acquired by Samuel Pickman, a mariner, in 1657, and his estate inventory of 1687 included a house on this tract.
The house may have been built as early as 1664 for Samuel Pickman. It is one of the few historic Salem buildings that still stands on its original foundation.
"Structural evidence suggests that the house originally consisted of a large right-hand hall with a chamber and attic
above and a chimney bay. The one story projecting porch was added c1800" according to Tolles in "Architecture in Salem."
The house was purchased by Historic Salem in 1964 and partially restored. They sold it to Philip A. Budrose of Marblehead in 1969, a private developer, who restored it. The Peabody Essex Museum bought it in 1983
and was using it as office space.
Salem resident Elizabeth Reardon discovered this 17th century dwelling under a Victorian mansard roof.
In 2021, the city of Salem and the Peabody Essex Museum joined together to convert the Pickman House into the new Welcome Center for the Charter Street Burial Ground. The cemetery was recently
renovated, establishing new paths, new lighting and more. The Welcome Center, positioned between Charter Street and the Salem Witchcraft Trials memorial that borders the cemetery, is run by the
same city employees running Pioneer Village and the Witch House.
See Also
- Architecture in Salem by Tolles, p.74-5
- Chartering a Course through Times Past: Charter Street Salem Tales, Salem Web
- "Salem Unveils new Welcome Center" Salem News, July 1, 2021, p. 1
- New cemetery Welcome Center city website
